Mrs. Fixit: Sock Smarts

September 20, 2009 4:15:06 AM PDT

September 19, 2009 --

Is there a little monster in your laundry room that munches on socks? Does trying to match socks once they're out of the laundry drive you insane? Well, I have some tips to stop that sock insanity and a couple of ideas for reusing socks that have hopelessly lost their mate.

To make the whole sock sorting chore a little easier, choose a certain style or color of sock for each family member and stick with it.

Athletic socks with gray toes for one family member and a gray toe for another - or stripes versus spotted socks. This gives you a quick visual cue as to which socks match each other and which family member they belong to keep a lost sock basket by the dryer. If a sock comes out of the laundry without its mate you can take a quick look in the basket to see if it's there.

What do you do if your socks are hopelessly unmatched? Cut off the toe and thread electrical cords through the cuff to keep them organized.

Or keep some mismatched socks with your family's luggage to slip shoes into so they don't get your clothes dirty in your suitcase.

Fill an athletic sock with some tennis balls and tie it off and you've got a great tug toy for your pet.

Sock smarts for the whole family! I'm Mrs. Fixit and it's just that simple!